Cane-cutting machine



Dec, 30, 1924.

INVENTOR A TTOR/VE Y T sates i l .52l,263

F "ii" T GEORGE E. WHITNEY, OF NEW YORK. N. Y., ASSE'GNOE. TO UNITED STATES SUGAR (ll-INF HARVESTER CORPORATION, OF NE'W YORK. N. Y.. A CORPORT EION OT? DELA'WARE.

CANE-CUTTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 14, 1920, Serial cessfuland it is still the general practice to cut the cane manually by means of the machete. At best, manual cutting is slow and expensive and the principal object of my invention is to provide a simply constructed 1;. machine, operating on what I believe to be a new principle in this kind of mechanism. for cutting sugar cane when standing in the field.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2- 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

an In carrying my invention into practice. I

employ a saw for severing the cane, and it 'has been demonstrated in practice that by sawing the cane a clean through severance is secured fully equivalent to the machete cut, but effected in much less time and obviously at considerably lower cost.

Referring to the drawing, denotes the body of a self propelled vehicle of any suit-' able type. carrying the sawing mechanism. Secured to shaft A. at one side of the body 10 is a pair of brackets 11, 12, which pivot ally support at 13 a substantially triangular frame comprising the bars 14. and 15 and the connecting cross-brace 16. As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, the bar 15 is provided with a head 17 which is substantially T-shapcd in cross section. The head 17 is designed to support the saw proper, which is reciprocated on such head.

Embracing the head 17 is a housing com prising a rear recessed wall 18 and the housing section formed of the front wall 19 and the top and bottom Walls 20 and 21. the latter being secured to the rear wall 18 by 5 bolts 22 or equivalent fastening means. One

No. 373,685. Renewed. April 29, 1924.

of the walls, for exam ne the wall 9.1, is extended to form a flange designed to project parallel or substantially parallel to the ground 'v-I'hen the machine is in operative position. The connection between the wall 19 and the flange is strengthened by the webs arranged at intervals.

The flange is designed to have attached thereto the saws 35, such attachment being effected by any suitable means. such as bolts 26. It will be noted that I. prefer to use a plurality of saw sections in lieu of a sii' gle long saw blade. and that each section is removably attached to the supporting flange 23. so that in case of need any section may be removed and attached independently of the other sections. is indicated in Fig. l. the saws are pioferably provided with lance teeth which cut with equal facility in either direction of reciprocation.

(hie end of the wall 19 is provided with a projecting arm 2'? to which pivotally connected one end of a pitman 28 the other end of which is votally secured to the cranks 29 hearing in the walls 30. he latter c);- tend outwardly from a sleeve fast on the shaft A... The cranks are driven by any suitable mechanism. that shown in the drawing comprising a sprocket wheel 32 on one of the crank arms over which a sprocket chain 33 travels. Carried below the bed of the vehicle body 10 is av counter shaft 34% rotated by the sprocket chain 35 from the motor 36 and near one end of the shaft 34- is a sprocket wheel 37 over which the chain 33 passes. Ob

viously, as the shaft 34. is rotated from the motor 36 the cranks 29 will impart reciprocating motion to the housing carrying the saw members 25.

In order that the sawing mechanism may be raised and lowered as desired, I provide the following instrumentalities:pivoted to the outer end of the housing 19 is one end of a breakable link consisting of the parts 38 and 39 connected by the pivot 40. The other end of the breakable link is connected to a spur gear wheel 4 1. rotatably mounted at the upper end of a standard 42 which rises from the vehicle body 10. Meshing with the gear wheel r1 is a pinion &3 fast on a shaft- 44; carrying a crank handle 45, the shaft 44: hearing in the standard 42. It will be apparent that by turning the handle e5 in the proper direction the link 3839 will be operated to raise or lower the saw ing mechanism, and in this action the frame 141:1516 which carries the latter will turn about the pivots V 13.

I preferably provide a guard 46 near the forward part of the vehicle to prevent the entrance of obstructive matter into the gear ing and like parts carried at the side of the body 10.

v The operation of the machine has been generally indicated in the foregoing description and may be briefly summarized as follows :'To place the machine out of operation, .the handle 45 is turned in the proper direction, causing the link 3839 to break at the pivot 4-0 thus raising the sawing mechanism into a substantially vertical position. If the machine is to be operated, the handle 45 is reversely turned, lowering the sawing mechanism into a substantially horizontal position whereupon the motor 36 is started thus causing the saws to recipro cate through the connections above described. The vehicle is advanced parallel to the rows of cane to be cut, and as it advances it cuts the cane, the stalks falling in a direction away fromthe machine. Should a tree stump or other obstruction be encoune quickly side thereof, said frame being providedwith a pivoted link connection adapted to support the frame at its outer end, a saw.

bar mounted in said frame and provided with saw sections, and meansfor reciprocating said saw bar.

4. A cane cutting machine comprising a vehicle, a frame movably connected to said vehicle, a'housing vmovably supported on said frame, a saw attachable to said housing, and means for reciprocating said housing. 2 i

5. 'i-L cane cutting machine comprising a vehicle, a frame inovably connected tosaid vehicle, said frame having one member T- shaped in cross section, a housing slidable on said-member, a saw attachable to said housing, and housing.

6. A cane cutting-machine comprising at ehicle, a saw-carrying frame pivoted to one side of said vehicle, a standard mounted on said vehicle and provided" with a pivotedhnk connection with the outer end of said In testimony whereof 'I have aff xed my signature.

GEORGE WHITNEY.

means for reciprocating said a 

